UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of

The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 16, 2018 (May 11, 2018)

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF AMERICA

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 588-6770

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR §230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR §240.12b-2).

Emerging Growth Company ¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Item 1.01.   Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On May 11, 2018, Business Development Corporation of America (the “Company”) entered into a Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P (the “Initial Purchaser”) relating to the Company’s sale of $60 million aggregate principal amount of its 5.375% fixed rate notes due 2023 (the “Notes”) to the Initial Purchaser in a private placement in reliance on Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and for initial resale by the Initial Purchaser to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act and to institutional accredited investors under Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) under the Securities Act. The Company relied upon these exemptions from registration based in part on representations made by the Initial Purchaser. The Purchase Agreement also includes customary representations, warranties and covenants by the Company. Under the terms of the Purchase Agreement, the Company has agreed to indemnify the Initial Purchaser against certain liabilities under the Securities Act. The Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration. The net proceeds from the sale of the Notes were approximately $58.7 million, after deducting an offering price discount of approximately $328,200, as well as Initial Purchaser’s discounts and commissions of approximately $600,000 and estimated offering expenses of approximately $400,000, each payable by the Company. The Company intends to use the net proceeds to repay outstanding indebtedness, to make investments in portfolio companies in accordance with its investment objectives and for general corporate purposes.

The Notes were issued pursuant to an Indenture dated as of December 19, 2017 (the “Base Indenture”), between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association, trustee (the “Trustee”), and a Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of May 16, 2018 (the “Second Supplemental Indenture” and together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”), between the Company and the Trustee. The Notes will mature on May 30, 2023, unless repurchased or redeemed in accordance with their terms prior to such date. The Notes bear interest at a rate of 5.375% per year payable semi-annually on May 30 and November 30 of each year, commencing on November 30, 2018. The Notes will be general unsecured obligations of the Company that rank senior in right of payment to all of the Company’s existing and future indebtedness that is expressly subordinated in right of payment to the Notes. The Notes will rank equally in right of payment with all of the Company’s existing and future senior liabilities that are not so subordinated, effectively junior to any of the Company’s secured indebtedness (including unsecured indebtedness that the Company later secures) to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness, and structurally junior to all existing and future indebtedness incurred by the Company’s subsidiaries, financing vehicles or similar facilities, including credit facilities entered into by the Company’s wholly owned, special purpose financing subsidiaries.

The Indenture contains certain covenants, including covenants requiring the Company to (i) comply with the asset coverage requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, whether or not it is subject to those requirements, and (ii) provide financial information to the holders of the Notes and the Trustee if the Company is no longer subject to the reporting requirements under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These covenants are subject to important limitations and exceptions that are described in the Indenture.

In addition, if a change of control repurchase event, as defined in the Indenture, occurs prior to maturity, holders of the Notes will have the right, at their option, to require the Company to repurchase for cash some or all of the Notes at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes being repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the repurchase date.

A copy of the Base Indenture, Supplemental Indenture and Purchase Agreement are attached hereto as Exhibits 4.1, 4.2 and 4.5, respectively and are incorporated herein by reference. The description of the Notes contained in this Form 8-K is qualified in its entirety by reference to the foregoing.

Item 2.03.   Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant.

The information required by Item 2.03 contained in Item 1.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01.   Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.